We've covered the best skincare, haircare and nail products of 2015, so it's about time we got into the best of the best beauty of the year! Grab yourself a beverage and get comfy because I have a ton of amazing products to talk about today to wrap up my Hit List series for 2015!

Face

IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ | This should come as no surprise to anyone who has read any of my makeup or favourites posts from the past six months.  Beautiful coverage and finish, an SPF of 50+ and great staying power made it my favourite product discovery of the spring. It's an easy one stop product that I wish came in more shades! 

Maybelline Master Concealer | I'm still an avid user of my Coastal Scents Camo Quad, but this concealer became a handbag staple for me this year. The formula isn't too dry and has amazing coverage so it's perfect for a quick touch up or travelling since it can be used under the eyes or to cover spots on the face. 

Maybelline Age Rewind Brightener | I rediscovered this product this year and have been using it every single day since. It immediately brings life to my face and makes me look awake and fresh even on days when I've gotten less sleep than I should have. 

Skindinavia Makeup Setting Sprays | I also began to really appreciate setting sprays this year as my skin became a touch more dry. I use it in the winter as my only setting product to avoid any dry patches from powdering, and as a finishing spray in the summer to avoid makeup meltdown. The regular setting spray is my favourite but the oil control version was great in the summer heat!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette | These powders are a beautiful formula, and having an "all over" powder, highlight and bronzey shade in one palette makes it a perfect full face/travelling companion. I will say if you were to pick one I would go for the Dim Light, it leaves the skin with a beautiful soft focus finish that is like nothing else I've ever tried!

And once again Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed had to make an appearance for the second year in a row because it is my HG blush!

Eyes

Naked2 Basics | This is the everyday eyeshadow palette of my dreams. I love the cooler tones which suit my light & cool features, and the mix of colours is perfect from day to night. I use every single shade in this palette which is rare so it had to be included!

Maybelline Lash Sensational + Jordana Best Lash Extreme + IT Cosmetics Tightline | This trio of mascaras made for the best lashes ever in 2015. I've loved the Jordana mascara for a long time because it is super dark and dramatic, but layering it over the Lash Sensational, which is great for lengthening and separating the lashes, was a match made in heaven. The Tightline's teeny tiny brush and smudge-proof formula made it perfect for getting right to the root of the lashes for natural day or on the lower lashes for a more dramatic look.

Stila Black Stay All Day Liquid Liner | I'm convinced this is the best black liner on the market, full stop. It's tip is flexible enough for the perfect feline flick, without being too flimsy and messy. It's rich and black and seriously stays. all. day. and a tube lasts me at least six months. I did try the brown and was a little disappointed so I would recommend sticking to black!

Sephora Cup of Joe Wink-It Felt Liner | I picked this up after my Stila disappointment and have worn it nearly every work day since.  I don't love the tip or staying power as much as the Stila liners but the colour is a perfect opaque dark cool-toned brown, and nothing else has beat it yet!

NYX Brow Mascara & Anastasia Brow Gel | This was definitely the year of brows for me, and what a difference a little attention to them has made! The NYX brow mascara is the perfect budget friendly one-step brow product that I use everyday to define and shape my brows. Nothing quite holds like the Anastasia gel though, and if I was looking for perfect brows from morning to night, this was my #1.

Lips

Maybelline Lust for Blush Color Whisper | This was without a doubt my most worn lip product of the entire year. The natural cool pink colour, the silky formula, and the fact that it smells like fruit loops meant that it lived in my purse for easy access all year long.

NYX Butter Gloss | I'm not usually a lip gloss girl but the formula of these is simply beautiful. Thick enough to stick around on the lips but not sticky, they are just so comfortable and moisturizing to wear. My favourite shade was Creme Brule, but it met an untimely death one day when I accidentally crushed the tube on the kitchen floor (oops). 

Maybelline Plum Please Color Blur | I had to throw this in as an honourable mention because the colour is so stunning! It's dark but still super flattering, and it's made an appearance in many blog posts in the past couple of months! 

If you managed to make it to the end, thank you so much for joining with me in 2015 and recommending some of your favourites in the comments! If you missed them, don't forget to check out my 2015 standouts in the skincare, haircare and nail product categories!

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Happy New Year friends! Anyone else not entirely looking forward to getting back into the regular swing of things at work/school? Well to soften the blow, let's get back to talking about the best of the best from 2015! Last week was all about skincare standouts, and today we'll be getting into the best of the best hair & nail care products of the year!

Hair Care

Live Clean Apple Cider Shampoo | I still haven't found my perfect everyday shampoo, but this clarifying shampoo made a big impression on me this year. It does the job of getting rid of any build up of product (I am a dry shampoo junkie after all) but always leaves my hair feeling soft and looking shiny - something I've never experienced from a clarifying shampoo!

Bumble & Bumble Invisible Oil | If you've been opposed to the feel or weight of hair oils in the past, you're going to want to give this one a shot. It is incredible at smoothing and protecting my hair without feeling thick or heavy. I got this last Christmas and have only used a quarter of the bottle, talk about value!

Macadamia Deep Repair Hair Masque and my It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In are two time winners  for the best moisturizing tag team for my hair. I tried so many other conditioners and leave in products but none could knock them out of the top spot!

Hair Styling

Batiste XXL Volume Dry Shampoo | If you've been following for any length of time you'll know that Batiste is my #1 when it comes to dry shampoo. This year the XXL version came into the picture for when I wanted long lasting volume in my super fine, flat hair. It adds a ton of grit and texture that allows the hair to build on itself without the need for teasing, but isn't super messy and doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy the next day like some other volume powders I've tried. 

The Wet Brush | My hairstylist used this once on my hair this year and I bought it on the spot. It's the best thing I've ever used for detangling damp hair! I still use last year's winner for the majority of my dry hair detangling, but this has taken the top spot for use after the shower!

Croc Clips & Meta Grip Bobby Pins | I almost completely abandoned the hair tie in favour of clips for overnight hair styling. Using bobby pins for my nightly top knot turned my naturally frizzy curls into voluminous waves, and the crocodile clips made original styling and keeping my styles in kink free a breeze.

Nail Care

ORLY Bonder Base Coat | Since my favourite Revlon Colourstay Base coat was discontinued, I had to go on a hunt this year to find a replacement. ORLY was the standout as the rubberized formula is amazing and gripping onto colour and extending the wear.

L'Oreal Infallible Nail Colour | The infallible formula was my favourite discovery of the past year, and I wore it on my nails all the time through the winter and fall of 2015. I even did a full review showing how it faired through nearly two weeks of wear time, and the results were amazing!

Essie "Ignite the Night" | The top polish shades of 2014 continued to live on my nails this year, but this shade is the most memorable new colour purchase I made in 2015 because it is literally so stunning on the nails! 

Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover | Last, but definitely not least, this nail polish remover completely changed the game for me this year. It makes removing polish (even glitter!!) so quick and painless, that changing up polish colours was way less time consuming! No mess and no bulky packaging means this will likely have a permanent spot in my nail drawer for years to come!

Phew that was a long one! Is there anything in the hair/nail department I'm seriously missing out on? Let me know, and look for the grand finale of the Hit List coming on Wednesday: standout beauty products of the year!

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Another year is quickly coming to a close and that means it's time to kick off my Hit List series for 2015 - rounding up all of the standout products of the year, starting out with my must have skincare items. This category has grown quite a bit from last year so let's get cracking!

Face

New Appearances:

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask | This mask may seem pretty boring, but it does incredible things for my skin. It was a lifesaver during our harsh winter last year and I kept loving it through the rest of the year for instantly making my face feel soft, smooth and hydrated.

Mario Bedescu Buffering Lotion | I've loved the Drying Cream for quite some time, but the Buffering Lotion was new to me this summer. I love that it's light and invisible and seems to do well with cystic acne which I was struggling more with in late summer/fall. It makes a difference without over drying, and I could wear it during the daytime under makeup which nudges it slightly over the Drying Cream. 

FAB Eye Duty Triple Remedy | This took the top spot for day eye cream this year without question. I don't have particularly puffy eyes so I can't vouch for that aspect, but it is definitely very hydrating and the peachy tone is amazing for helping conceal darkness before concealer. To see it in action you can check out my "No Makeup" Makeup look for how I use it even on lazy days!

RapidLash | My natural lashes have never looked better than in the past year when I started using this growth serum. Since I have hooded eyes, the longer and more full my lashes look, the better my makeup looks in general. I'm not one to fuss too often with false lashes so having great natural lashes has done wonders to improve my confidence with minimal makeup. I can see why people splash out for eyelash extensions! 

Repeat Winners:

Philosophy Purity Cleanser  | Garnier Gel Cream | Marcelle Micellar Solution | Clarins Radiance Plus Glow Booster

These products all kept their top spots from last year and are staples in my daily routine. I'm sure you've heard me go on about them many times but if you want more information, you can read all about them in last years skincare Hit List.

Body

This year there is a whole crop of new product winners in the body category!

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer | I've mentioned a few times that I can be super lazy when it comes to moisturizing but it's an essential step for my skincare routine. The spray format and quick dry of this lotion have made it easily my most used of the year. Even though it is quick to absorb it still leaves the skin feeling comfortable and soft, and doesn't irritate my sensitive legs.

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil | This is shower oil is my #1 favourite body product discovery of the year. The feel of this cleanser is unlike anything I've ever tried and leaves my skin feeling heavenly. It is pricey but I've had this bottle since the summer and it's still going strong, which is 100% worth the price to me!

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub | Exfoliation is a big part of my shower routine, and you just can't beat when you get the best of both worlds in performance and price. The Tree Hut scrubs are just the right amount of grit without being too harsh, rinse clean without any sort of residue, and all smell incredible for just over $5.

What were your skincare standouts for the year?

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Welcome back to The Hit List, where I am summing up my top five favourites in a multitude of categories. I have already gone through my winners for Beauty Standouts of the year, so today we'll be tackling the the worlds of skincare and haircare.

I'm sure if you asked my boyfriend he would agree that I have way too many items in these two categories, but unlike a lot of beauty products skin and hair products can vary massively on different people. To give you an idea if these might possibly work for you lets take a second to talk about me shall we?

I have combination/oily skin that is prone to breakouts, and because of it's generally ghostly pallor is also prone to redness and hyper-pigmentation. My hair is naturally curly, fine but I have a lot of it, highlighted every few months, and generally dry and limp. And there you have it, so let's jump right in.

Garnier Refershing Gel-Cream. I've already spouted the virtues of this moisturizer here. It's what I've used on my daily face for at least two years now.
Kirkland Facial Wipes. Again, a product that I have talked about previously, these wipes are cheap and cheerful and get the job done. Coming in packs of 150 wipes, you really can't go wrong.
Philosophy Purity Cleanser. I finally caved and bought a sample of this in October or November, and sadly for my wallet, this cleanser really is worth the hype. It's gentle but removes makeup and makes me feel soft as a baby's bottom. Now if only it didn't come with a nearly $25 price tag attached, it would be just perfect.
Life Brand Tea Tree Oil. I've tried so many spot treatments it borders on ridiculous. I don't get too many spots now that I'm out of that awkward high school/college phase, but I am prone to hormonal breakouts and they just drive me crazy. This oil has been the only thing that I've seen a dramatic difference with this year. It's curious though, I bought another brand of 100% Tea Tree Oil when I was on vacation this summer and it didn't seem to work out for me. Strange right?
Skindinavia No More Shine Makeup Finish. You may disagree in the categorization of skin care for this one, but I rarely use it to actually set my makeup. I use this mostly as a pre-makeup spray. It helps control oil from the source, and it works great.

Batiste Dry Shampoo for Light/Blonde Hair. My favourite dry shampoo ever I discovered this year, and I think I've tried almost all the varieties out there. This baby is a quadruple threat for me. It smells divine, a slightly sweet vanilla-ish scent that isn't too overpowering, it works fantastically at absorbing oil, gives me some volume, which trust me I need, AND helps hide unsightly root growth. It looks a little scary coming out of the can, but blended in it adds just the right amount of lightness to let me get away with a few more weeks before I hit the salon in the winter when my natural hair darkens up. A+++
L'Oreal Studio Silk&Gloss Hot Straight Smoothing Cream. I have used this stuff consistently since I was in high school. It is one product that for me, does everything it claims: protects from heat, smoothes the hair, and stops frizz. I'm not kidding. I have been in the rain and this stuff still keeps my hair straight. I sometimes use it even if I'm not straightening my hair because it makes my curls less frizzy.
Samy Fat Hair "0" Calorie Mousse. I discovered this product this year, and it has become a staple any time I'm going to be blow drying my hair. It gives me tons of beautiful volume without feeling crunchy or sticky. Air drying with this doesn't work as well, but for nights out this is my hair bff.
Tangle Teezer/Tangle Tamer Max. I only photographed the Tangle Teezer, but I also have the Sally's brand Tangle Tamer and I don't really see too much headway of one over the other. I was so skeptical of this, and the first time I tried it I wasn't really impressed, but going back to a regular paddle brush afterwards felt like torture. Don't be fooled, this doesn't just magically glide through your hair, but it does make getting the tangles out a little less painful, and I'm good with that.
Alterna Bamboo Kendi Oil. This is a never ending hair oil. I swear, I've had it for almost two years now and I'm barely past halfway through, and I use it regularly. I'm not sure how much "mending" it actually does, but I find it helps make my tangley hair more manageble to brush out, and makes it feel soft once it's dried. I use it on wet and dry hair and neither makes me feel like I need to get right back into the shower. Really lovely product.

And that wraps up today's episode of The Hit List 2013! I'll be back tomorrow with some of the more random things that tickled my fancy this past year tomorrow.

Cheers!

How is this for irony? The day after I commit myself to follow-through I schedule out my post for the day and it doesn't go up. Well, if anyone has any info on how I can make Blogger stick to the schedule I give it, I'd love to know. At any rate, you'll be in for a treat today as I'll be posting not one but two installments of this next series.

Today I bring you my top 5 favourites from my face, eyes and lips collections. Without rambling too much, let crack on. If I've already given a review on the product, just follow the link to get the details! Let me know if you would like to see more detail on any of the products I've given my stamp of approval below.  

Stay Flawless. Perfection in a foundation if I've ever seen one. Read more about why I love it here. Lately I've been mixing it in with a bit of my favourite moisturizer to lighten the coverage and it has still been working flawlessly.

Milani Multitasker. This was my staple in the summer. Coverage without being heavy. Matte but not flat. It can be used as a foundation or setting powder if you use a light hand. The only con I would say is the absolutely massive packaging. The product itself is lovely. 

Benefit Coralista. A cult classic in the beauty world, and for good reason. I never used to be a real blush person, but I've reached for this almost everyday since I got it. A tinsy bit of shimmer and the perfect corally colour really brightens up my fair complexion. Winter or Summer this one is a winner. 

Coastal Scents cover quad in Medium. I recently re-fell in love with this product. Talk about a multitasker. Four shades means that it works for me all year round, and not only for concealing. The formula is creamy but not sticky, it dries to a perfect finish. Love love love.

Garnier RollerBall. I think I will own this for forever and ever Amen. Not the heaviest coverage (though if you let it sit for a minute before blending it helps) but good enough for me. It feels light and lovely and you can read more about it here.

Jordana Best Lash Extreme. I can't buy this in Canada, but every time I've been across the boarder this year I've picked up at least one tube of this mascara. So cheap, yet so good. The formula does thicken up quite a bit, but if you clean up your brush a bit it can do magical things to your eyelashes.

Original Naked Palette. An oldie but a goodie, I used this nearly every day this year in some capacity. I originally had the Naked 2 on my wish list this year, but ended up taking it off when I shared it with my family because I really don't think I need it. I love the original that much. 

Satin Taupe. The single eyeshadow of my dreams. Normally I go for warmer colours (aka the Naked palette) but when I'm looking to do a more smokey type of look this has been my go-to. My boyfriend also loves whenever I wear it so that makes it an automatic favourite.

Jordana Easy Liner. Jordana just hit it out of the park for me this year. I have both black and brown now, and the brown became and instant favourite that made its way into my everyday routine. I used to hate doing liquid liner, but it is not only easy to remove (I used to line my waterline every day and wake up with raccoon eyes no matter how well I cleaned my face) but super flattering and not too harsh for everyday.

Maybelline Colour Tattoos. The lazy-girl's miracle product to looking put together. I now have 4 different colours and love them better than my MAC Paint Pots. Now if only they would make any of the matte beige offerings permanent.

EOS Lip Balm in Honeydew and The Body Shop Honeymainia Lip Balm. I am a lip balm girl at heart. I can't tell you how many I must have lying around in my life, but these two were the ones that made the greatest impression on me in 2013. EOS balms have been around for years, but I realized recently that they are what I use on the most regular basis. The Honeymainia Balm slipped in at the last moment as a Christmas goodie. The smell of it is just divine, and I've been keeping it by my bed and applying it every night before hitting the hay.

Bourjois Chubby Stick in Peach on the Beach. This is possibly the most gorgeous colour I've ever owned. Not too bright, not too overly shiney, just plain beautiful. It looks like a summer colour, but I've been wearing it recently too as shake up of the traditional darker winter look.

NYX Matte Lip Cream in Tokyo. The formula on this one is the most important part. I'm not a super glossy lip fan, but I suffer from chronically dry lips and this is one of the lip colour products I can stand wearing because it doesn't make me look like I'm withering up.

NARS Dolce Vita Lipstick. Again a last minute favourite, but I got this as part of the Sephora Super Stars kit and it was instantly joined the rest of my carry along products so I think that says something.